


Summer Nights

by aloevera



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), SWMRS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, F/M, Love Triangles, Summer, Summer Camp, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-17 13:24:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18099365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aloevera/pseuds/aloevera
Summary: Calum isn't sure if he loves or hates being a camp counselor. Spending the summer in the woods with a cabin full of kids isn't ideal but spending the summer with no internet, no cell phone, and no interruptions? That he can live with. Smoking weed after lights out, writing songs under the stars, and relaxing after the stress of another tough semester was all a part of the plan; catching feelings was not. And having to fight for the return of that affection? Nowhere near his plans for the summer.  But Calum soon learns that nothing goes according to plan at Camp Clear Lake.





	1. Welcome to Camp Clear Lake

“Welcome to Camp Clear Lake!”

The chatter that had filled the small wooden building that serves as both cafeteria and auditorium comes to a halt as Maxwell, the owner of Camp Clear Lake, yells his greeting and smiles at the sea of bored eighteen-to-twenty-somethings sitting in front of him. The twenty individuals scattered around the room are his counselors for the summer, the ones who will guide the campers and make the six weeks they spend at Camp Clear Lake worth the hefty price tag, and he’s excited to see so many returning faces. He’s always liked seeing his counselors return just as much as he’s liked seeing his campers return and it sets his mind at ease as he realizes the adjustment period won’t be as long this time around.

The people who have been counselors before know the drill by now and those who don’t know will learn by example. There won’t be that awkward period of confusion that comes with having a batch of brand new counselors nor will there be that moment of stagnation that comes with an entire roster of returning faces. He sees just enough of each to keep things balanced and he’s content with the way things are turning out as he clears his throat and begins to speak.

“I’m so excited to see all of your faces, those who are new as well as those who are returning. We seem to have a pretty even mixture of both this year and I’m sure all of you are glad to see old friends and make new ones. I just wanted to take this moment to remind everyone that I truly appreciate each and every one of you. You all make Camp Clear Lake what it is, the best camp in California, and there would be no Camp Clear Lake without all of you. So, I thank you all for returning or for joining us for the first time. This is going to be a magical summer,” he announces and when he pauses, his captive audience applauds.

Maxwell grins at the noise (his cheeks turn pink at the wolf whistles and ‘whoops’ that come from the boys near the back of the room) before he gestures to his son, Aiden. “For those of you who are returning, you’ll remember my son, Aiden. For those of you who are new, Aiden is my righthand man. He’ll be staying with you all this summer. If you have any problems, he’s the guy to see. I have to head out, I’m picking up the rest of the supplies for the welcome festivities, so I’m going to hand it over to him. Enjoy yourselves tonight at the bonfire but remember that you’ll be getting your campers bright and early in the morning. I’ll see you all later!”

The group claps again as Maxwell descends the three steps leading up to the platform they all call a stage and he waves on his way out of the building. The moment the door closes, Aiden whistles to capture their attention and rolls his eyes as they all shift in their seats to face him.

“Alright, listen up, assholes,” Aiden huffs as he glances out at the audience before him, “those of you who have, for reasons unknown, returned know the drill by now. Newbies, it’s simple. Leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone. Do not bother me unless someone is actively dying. Even then, go to the nurse first and if she can’t help, then come find me. I do not care if you drink, I do not care if you do drugs, I do not care if you smoke, I do not care if you fuck; just don’t let any of the kids see you. If they do catch you, make sure they don’t report you or write their parents and tell them what they learned at camp.

Your bunk assignments are posted on the bulletin boards outside the door. Your clipboards with camper lists, daily activity sheets, and all other relevant information are in your cabins. A frequently asked questions list is also attached. Do not ask me anything. If you don’t know the answer, make it up. The kids won’t know the difference. Remember that you are to wear your bandanas somewhere on your person at all times, just as long as it’s visible. I don’t give a shit about your body piercings, tattoos, or unnatural hair colors but when the parents are here, hide all of those things. Anything else, ask someone who’s been here before.”

Aiden pauses, stares down at the group before him, before he sighs and says, “Welcome to Hell, kids.”

The moment the final word leaves his lips, Aiden descends the three steps and leaves the small building. The new counselors are stunned by his attitude, those who are returning roll their eyes and begin to move from the uncomfortable wooden tables in search of their bunk assignments. The chatter begins anew as the returning counselors begin to grab their bags and greet old friends. The newer counselors remain seated, watching for cues, before they begin to follow.

“Remember our first summer here?”

Kennedy jumps at the feeling of a hand on her arm but relaxes upon hearing the voice of her partner in crime, Jade. The two have been Camp Clear Lake counselors for four consecutive years and have been assigned to the same bunk each time. They met the summer following high school graduation and have remained friends since. Now, seeing Jade makes Camp Clear Lake feel like home and Kennedy can’t help herself as she pulls her in for a hug.

“It was the worst,” Kennedy laughs as she releases Jade and grabs her duffel bag from the floor. “I didn’t want to be here, I think I refused to talk for the first week, and those assholes in the cabin across from us kept trying to steal our underwear.”

“And that creepy kid in their cabin kept trying to sneak into the showers when we were in there, remember?” Jade asks as she grabs her own duffel bag. “Ugh, that was the worst summer. I think I got into poison ivy, like, four times.”

“You’d think you’d know what it looks like by now,” Kennedy teases as she reaches the bulletin board and reaches a hand out to drag her finger down the list. “Kennedy Harper and Jade Winters, cabin four, just like old times.”

“Think my vodka is still under the floorboard?” Jade asks as she shifters her duffel bag to her left hand. “I was thinking about bringing it to the bonfire tonight.”

Kennedy shrugs and follows Jade through the throng of people lingering around the bulletin board. “Probably,” she hums as she glances at the sea of new faces, “they don’t clean these cabins for shit. Is it just me or do most of these kids look fucking young?”

“All the newbies are fresh out of high school,” Jade informs her as she pauses to glance at the crowd of new faces. “We didn’t look that young,” she mutters before she turns her head to glance at the returning counselors. “At least Molly and Mindy didn’t come back this year. What bitches,” she huffs as she continues to scan the crowd.

“I didn’t see them,” Kennedy sighs as she watches Jade crane her neck to see the counselors standing near the building. “Maybe they aren’t coming this year.”

“If Ashton isn’t here, I’ll lose my fucking mind. What am I supposed to do for eight weeks with no reliable internet or cell reception?” Jade asks as she adjusts her backpack once more.

“Read a book? Write a novel? Cure cancer?”

“Fuck you,” Jade huffs as she turns her full attention back to Kennedy. “Is that what you’re gonna do without Calum to drool over?”

Kennedy rolls her eyes as she turns away from Jade and begins to walk down the cobblestone path toward their cabin. “Calum was just a friend,” she huffs as she kicks a loose rock out of her way. “We didn’t even really hang out alone until the last night of camp. And it wasn’t, like, hanging out. It was just, you know, sitting together at a campfire. One of his campers threw up on Luke and interrupted us before it could be more than that.” When Jade sends a sympathetic look her way, Kennedy shrugs. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s clear he didn’t want anything to happen. He never texted me and he unfollowed me on Instagram. So, I’m sorry that you’re going to have to find a new guy to scratch your itch but I’m really not that bothered if Calum doesn’t show.”

Jade blinks at Kennedy’s shrug and shakes her head. “What a dick,” she mumbles as she follows Kennedy to cabin number four. “I’m sorry, babe. I know this whole camp romance thing doesn’t really work out for you. It’s just because you’re so damn big-hearted and such a hopeless romantic.” When Kennedy fixes her with an unimpressed stare, Jade grins and winks at her. “Seriously, though, you get attached. You want a real relationship and, honestly, you can’t have that here. It’s a wham-bam, thank you, ma’am sort of thing. You get two months, you flirt and you fuck, then you call it quits. There are no numbers, no Instagram following, no plans to meet up; you have fun and you forget it. If that’s not what you want, that’s totally cool. You just have to have realistic expectations going into this.”

Kennedy groans at Jade’s words as she shuffles into the small cabin. She takes in the sight of the mattresses propped up, airing out, and smiles at the sight of her twin bed tucked into the corner. As she works on flipping her mattress back onto the frame, she lets her mind wander to Calum and feels her smile fall.

The idea of Calum being nothing more than a meaningless summer fling hurts. Kennedy had really liked him, the summer she spent flirting with him was the most fun she’d had in ages, but she gets it. Camp Clear Lake isn’t real life. It’s a weird, abstract summer existence where time means nothing and the rules and norms of society don’t exist. Relationships forged here aren’t real (friendships, however, have proven to be very real) and she thought she would’ve learned that after hearing horror stories from every counselor around her. But she’d thought Calum was different.

As she begins to place the sheets on her bed, she realizes that Calum was just there to play the game. He’d been at Camp Clear Lake to step away from reality for the summer. He’d wanted time away from the hustle and bustle of his daily life, away from campus and the record shop he worked in, to focus on his music and relax. He hadn’t come to camp with the intention of falling in love and it isn’t right for her to resent him for that.

She groans as she realizes Jade was right and turns to face the girl in question. “I hate you,” Kennedy sighs as she takes a seat on her bed. “Fuck. I need to just, like, swear off summer romance. No love interests from June until September. No crushes, no boys. Just me and bettering myself.”

“Yeah, I’d hold off on that thought,” Jade hums as she glances out the small window beside her bed. “You will never believe who’s here.”

Intrigued, Kennedy stands from her bed and crosses the room to stand beside Jade. The two crowd against the window, heads pressed together, as Kennedy glances out at the pair of guys stepping up to cabin number five. She can only see the backs of their heads but she nods approvingly at the shock of pastel green hair and raises an eyebrow at the brown curls. She’s about to ask if she should know who they are (she’s one hundred percent certain that it’s not Calum and Ashton) when the brunette turns just enough for her to see his face.

“Holy shit, that’s Joey.”

“And Cole,” Jade nods as she continues to stare at the pair. “Fuck, Joey got hot. Like, he was cute four years ago but, Jesus. Yeah, forget Calum. Forget the ‘no summer romance’ thing. If you don’t tap that, I will.”

“Okay, first of all,” Kennedy laughs as she turns her head to glance at Jade, “no one has said tap that since two-thousand three. Second, holy shit. He was cute and funny and I had a crush on him back then but, holy shit. Look at him!”

“I’m definitely looking,” Jade hums as she stares at the pair of them. “I know I said I’d be lost without Ashton here but I think I’ll be alright.” When Kennedy glances at her from the corner of her eye, Jade grins. “He’s yours, you were into him first, but art can be appreciated without touching.”

Kennedy turns her head away from the window and faces Jade. Jade follows suit and meets her gaze head-on for an impromptu staring contest. The girls keep their eyes on each other for a long moment, neither indicating anything with their facial expressions, before Kennedy cracks and laughs.

“I hate you,” she giggles as she turns her head to watch Joey and Cole disappear into their cabin, “you’re so annoying.”

Jade doesn’t reply. Instead, she just winks at Kennedy and steps away from the window to return to her own bed linen. Kennedy stares out the window for another long moment before she crosses the cabin to return to her own bed. She doesn’t want to get her feelings hurt, not again, but she remembers how sweet Joey was. While Calum reminded her of him in some ways, in others they’re worlds apart. She doesn’t think he’d be the type to flirt with her for an entire summer, get her hopes up and make her feel something, only to crush her spirits at the last minute. She can’t remember but she doesn’t think she wants to find out.

She thinks that summer nights are best spent reading on her own and she says as much to Kennedy the moment she tugs her pillow from the linen bag. “No summer romances,” she repeats, unsure of who she is trying harder to convince, as she reaches for the thin blanket she uses in place of a duvet. “I’m just here to spend my last year as a counselor as peacefully as possible. Why would I want to do anything other than enjoy my time with the kids? Guys are a hassle. Not worth the time and energy.”

Despite this thought remaining firmly in the forefront of her mind, Kennedy puts in way too much effort getting ready for the bonfire. She stands at the counter in the crowded bathroom, struggling to see under the flickering florescent lights, and applies the little makeup she’d brought with her. She wears the cutest summer dress she’d packed and the only pair of clean shoes she’d thought to bring. Jade grins at her as she attempts to put on perfume, despite being caked in mosquito repellent.

Kennedy doesn’t know why she’s trying so hard but she is and it annoys her. “I hate myself,” she huffs as she follows Jade down the path toward the fire pit. “I’m going to sit in a cloud of smoke for a few hours and get shitfaced. I did not need to do this,” she grumbles as she gestures to her outfit. “I’m a fucking idiot.”

“A beautiful fucking idiot,” Jade grins as she tosses an arm across Kennedy’s shoulders. “You look cute. Even if you don’t want a thing with Joey, at least he’ll know what he missed out on a few years ago. And if Calum magically appears, he’ll know what he missed out on last year. This can be your ‘fuck you, I’m an independent woman who don’t need a romantic partner to be valid’ look.”

Kennedy stares at Jade for a moment before she shakes her head and grins. “You’re so fucking weird and I love you so very much,” Kennedy laughs as she wraps an arm around Jade’s waist. “What would I do without you?”

“Have a breakdown and spiral out of control, probably.”

Kennedy knows that this is true so she doesn’t reply. Instead, she and Jade remain connected and continue their journey down the winding path toward the fire pit. They can see the smoke floating above the trees, can hear the music blaring through the speakers that someone (likely Jason, the counselor that has seemingly been at the camp forever) connected earlier, and it makes them happy to catch sight of counselors wandering toward the party. The scent of marijuana permeates the grounds and a keg is situated just outside of the circle of benches and it feels like coming home.

“God, this is the same every year but I don’t think I’m mad about it,” Jade laughs as she watches the new counselors eye the circle surrounding the fire pit. “There’s comfort in the ritual, I guess.”

“I guess,” Kennedy laughs as she watches a returning counselor trip over a rock and spill a cup full of beer down the front of his shirt. She rolls her eyes as he tugs off the now soiled piece of clothing and twirls it above his head. “Looks like we’re late to the party. First round is on me, then,” Kennedy grins as she squeezes Jade’s side before letting go. “D’you want shitty beer, shitty beer, or, and this is the best one, shitty beer?”

“They all sound so amazing,” Jade gushes, her voice playfully excited as she claps her hands. “I don’t know how I could ever choose. Surprise me!”

Kennedy laughs at Jade’s faux enthusiasm and watches for a moment as she weaves through the crowd to find the group of girls they’d befriended over the years. Only three of them had returned, not counting herself and Jade, but it’s still nice to know that she’s going to have friends to keep herself occupied over the next eight weeks. Kennedy had only chosen a few books to bring with her and she’s certain that she’ll get bored of reading fairly quickly. The only way to beat the boredom is by socializing and she doesn’t exactly feel like making an entirely new set of friends this year.

Nor does she feel like letting herself build a fantasy romance that will only bite her in the ass.

As she mulls over her tentative plans for the summer and reaches for a red cup, a solid mass hits her and knocks her into the side of the keg. She manages to tilt the cup away in time to avoid staining her dress with beer but knocks her side into the edge of the keg and groans as she feels her breath leave her in a rush. She stands for a moment, regaining her senses, before she sighs in relief when she realizes that all she’s done is spill a bit of beer onto the ground. She stares at the puddle for a second before she straightens and turns toward the source of the impact. Upon seeing Joey standing behind her, a surprised look on his face and curls in his eyes, she blinks.

Joey stares for a moment, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed from a combination of alcohol and physical exertion, before he smiles sheepishly at her. “I’m sorry, Kennedy,” he apologizes, “I wasn’t paying attention.” Kennedy glances at the small group of guys he’d been standing with, smiles and waves when she catches Cole’s eye, before she waves off Joey’s apology. He grins at her nonchalance and watches her for a moment before he adds, “Is it bad that I’m kinda glad it was you, though? You just saved me from knocking over the keg and, honestly, camp would’ve been hell if I’d done that.”

“I get you,” she laughs as she glances at the keg. “Knocking that thing over would’ve been a disaster. Take the alcohol away from them and they’re forced to interact sober. Who in their right mind wants that?”

Joey grins at her quip and nods. “A whole night without beer? Unacceptable,” he agrees with a faux serious nod. “Everyone would lose their shit.” The pair fall into a moment of companionable silence, the noise of the party around them holding their attention, before Joey speaks again. “It’s good to see you,” he offers with a genuine smile. “I wasn’t sure if you were still coming. I’m glad you’re here, though.”

“It’s good to see you, too,” Kennedy nods as she truly looks at him. The few years they’d spent apart had done him wonders. He’d grown his hair out and gotten a few tattoos. He looks comfortable in his own skin, happier than he had been the last time she’d seen him, and it makes her smile to see him look so content. He’d been a goofy kid the last time she’d seen him, a freshman in college with no idea what he wanted to do with his life, but now he looks every bit the adult she knows him to be and it feels good.

She doesn’t even think before she adds, “I’ve been here every summer. I don’t know what I’d be doing without this place but it’s good to see you back. Things were boring without you. No one took to weird ass pranks like you did.”

Joey grins at this. He remembers the pranks that he and another counselor played on Aiden. The ones that he and his campers played on the cabin across from theirs. The ones that he and Kennedy had played on Jade and Cole.

He remembers the fun he’d had that summer and smiles at the memories. “Think Aiden will kick my ass if I put another snake in his cabin?” he asks as he reaches around Kennedy to grab a fresh cup.

“Technically we’re all adults,” Kennedy grins, “but I think Maxwell might kick his ass if he tries to fight one of the counselors. Speaking of Max, why didn’t Max join you guys? I’m sure a new generation of campers would love to hate him.”

“He’s an adult, adult now,” Joey informs Kennedy with a nod as he hands her a cup. “Moved in with his girlfriend, has a ring in his sock drawer, has a real job; he makes the rest of us look like slackers.”

“Oh, shit,” Kennedy nods, “yeah. Damn. I can’t even get a text back.”

Joey laughs at this and nods his head in agreement. “I feel that,” he laughs, “at least out here we can pretend that it’s the lack of service.”

As the pair of them share a laugh, Jade watches from across the clearing with a grin on her lips. “Twenty bucks says they’ll hook up before the summer’s over,” she offers to the pair of returning counselors standing with her.

“Twenty bucks says they’ll hook up before the week’s over,” another laughs as she points at the pair of them. “Look at how close they’re standing.”

“Look at how close who are standing?”

Jade blinks in surprise at the sound of Ashton’s voice and turns to see him standing behind her. “Holy shit,” she laughs, “what are you doing here?”

“Giving up our summer break to spend eight weeks in the woods with a bunch of kids,” Calum answers as he follows Ashton into the clearing and joins the small group. “Hey, Jade.”

“Hey, Cal. You guys missed the welcome session,” Jade points out as she hugs Ashton. “Which cabin are you both in?”

“Cabin number three,” Ashton informs her with a grin as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and glances around the clearing. “Where’s your partner in crime?”

“Flirting with Joey by the keg,” Abbey, a returning counselor, answers for Jade as she points to where Kennedy and Joey are still wrapped up in conversation. “They’ve been eyefucking for the past fifteen minutes.”

At the mention of Kennedy, Calum’s attention is drawn to the keg. He frowns at the sight before him and crosses his arms over his chest as he watches. He knows that he has no right to be jealous, no right to be annoyed, but he can’t help the surge of emotion he feels in the pit of his stomach. He’d done well last summer, avoiding his feelings for her and keeping her at an arms length, but he’d thought about her far more than he imagined he would over the course of the year. He regrets not keeping in touch with her, especially when he sees that she’s more beautiful than he remembers, but he’d thought his reasons were justified.

Now, though, he’s not so sure.

“He was here our first year at camp,” he hears Jade tell Ashton. “They were friends and he and Cole almost always ended up with us for the partner activities. Everyone thought they’d end up at least having a summer thing but they were both too oblivious to do anything about it.”

Calum frowns at this. He wonders if she realizes the feelings he’d had for her, wonders if she knew that he wanted to be more than her friend, and could kick himself for not being more straightforward. He let his fear get the better of him and her obliviousness had gotten the better of her. Together, they made a heartbreaking pair and Calum knows this.

Maybe it’s for the best, he thinks as he watches Kennedy follow Joey toward the small group of counselors near them. He watches her hug the guy with shaggy green hair, watches her settle into a spot close to Joey, and rolls his eyes before he begins to glance around the small clearing for something else to hold his attention.

Behind him, Ashton and Jade grin. “He’s so jealous,” Jade whispers to Ashton with a smirk. “Like, if this was a cartoon, steam would be pouring out of his ears.”

Ashton stares down at Calum for a long moment before he asks, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Jade laughs at Ashton’s question and shakes her head. “Not even,” she grins as she glances over at Kennedy and Joey. “I’m not getting in the middle of this. Whoever Kennedy wants, that’s who I support.”

“You literally just bet on her and Joey hooking up,” Abbey reminds her as she glances between Jade and Ashton. “It’s clear where your loyalties lie.”

“That was before the two of them showed up,” Jade defends with a laugh. “If I’d known, I’d have made it forty bucks.” When Ashton fixes her with an unimpressed stare, she grins. “The weird ones are the ones you have to watch out for,” she shrugs. “But let’s make a promise; no meddling. Let the summer run its course. Whoever Kennedy ends up with, or if she ends up alone, that’s her choice.”

Abbey shrugs, not really caring, and Ashton rolls his eyes. “Fine,” he nods, “no meddling on our part. But when she and Cal end up together at the end of the summer, I’m going to really enjoy that forty bucks.”

Jade rolls her eyes in response and holds her hand out to Ashton. “You’re on, Irwin.” She pauses for a moment, watches Calum cross the small clearing to get a beer, and grins when he pauses to stare at Kennedy and Joey. “I don’t know about you but I think this summer just got interesting.”


	2. The Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum and Kennedy meet again for the first time in over a year but things have changed since they last spoke. Will they ever be able to reconnect or have things fizzled too far to fix?

“Good morning, Camp Clear Lake. The sky is a beautiful cloudless blue, the sun is shining bright, and the temperature is already a sweltering ninety-five. The children who will be left in our somewhat capable hands are on their way with the most annoying people known to earth, moderately wealthy parents. We can only hope and pray that all of them are vaccinated and that we don’t contract the bubonic plague. That said, we have thirty more minutes to ourselves before the end of the world as we know it.”

Kennedy groans and pulls her pillow out from beneath her head only to place it on top of her head in an attempt to drown out Jade’s booming voice. Her hangover has magnified every one of her senses. Everything is far too loud; the chirping of the birds, the shuffling of Jade’s feet as she moves around the cabin, the laughter of the new counselors who had retained some of their common sense and hadn’t drowned themselves in cheap beer and even cheaper liquor. Kennedy can feel her heartbeat in her temples and the sun is still too bright, even through the pillow on top of her head, and she swears that she’s never drinking again.

“I crave death,” she grumbles, voice muffled by the pillow on top of her head as she wills her churning stomach to calm. “And maybe bacon, after I puke.”

“Death, I can do nothing to help you with,” Jade hums as she straightens out the last of the camper’s mattresses. “As for the bacon, there’s probably some in the mess hall. Not sure how edible it is but I feel like it’s there.”

Kennedy groans as she feels Jade pull the sheet from her body and shakes her head beneath the pillow. “Bacon from the mess hall might kill me,” she breathes, a thoughtful lilt to her voice as she allows Jade to pry the pillow out of her hands. “Unless the sun gets me first.”

“Put on a hat and some sunglasses,” Jade advises as she drops Kennedy’s ‘staff’ shirt onto her face in place of the pillow. “You got fucking hammered last night.”

“Beer before liquor,” Kennedy breathes as she attempts to sit upright in bed, her hands clutching the edges of her mattress for support, “guess the old saying is true.”

Jade hums her agreement as she tugs on her own ‘staff’ shirt and tucks it into the waistband of her neon green shorts. “Pretty sure you had Everclear,” Jade nods with an impressed look on her face. “Doesn’t mean I don’t I hate you for choosing this fucking color, though,” she grumbles as she turns to look into the floor length mirror she and Kennedy had brought two years ago. “Green is fine but, like, toxic sludge green. Not a good look, Kenny.”

“Just trying to live my eighties summer camp horror movie fantasy,” Kennedy grumbles as she stands and kicks off her pajama shorts and tosses her tank top onto her bed. “If there isn’t any real toxic sludge, guess it just has to be symbolic.” Jade rolls her eyes as she watches Kennedy tug on her ‘staff’ shirt before she places a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Jade hands her an identical pair of neon green cotton shorts and watches as she tucks her shirt into them before she shoves her feet into a pair of black and white Vans.

Jade stares for a long moment, watching Kennedy robotically go about her morning routine as if they’d never left Camp Clear Lake in the first place, before she grabs a pack of hair ties and moves closer to Kennedy’s bed. “Before you got absolutely fucked last night, did you happen to notice who showed up?” Jade asks as she adjusts her socks. As Kennedy thinks about it, Jade reaches for Kennedy’s brush to help her pull her hair into a ponytail.

“The only thing I noticed last night was how comfortable the ground was,” Kennedy grumbles before she catches the look Jade levels at her. “No,” she sighs as Jade runs the brush through her hair. “I didn’t notice much of anything at all, really. I noticed the new group of counselors off to the side, the returning counselors with you and Abbey,” Kennedy hums as Jade finishes putting her hair in a ponytail. She pauses for a moment to think before she adds, “After that, I remember talking about music with Joey, talking about politics with Cole, and then I’m pretty sure I ended up putting a lizard in Aiden’s cabin but don’t hold me to that.”

“Oh, you definitely did that,” Jade nods as she shifts to allow Kennedy to help her clip on her necklace. “I don’t know how his screaming didn’t wake you up, honestly. But while you were drooling over Joey and getting shitfaced with the boys, Ashton and Calum appeared. It’s almost like they heard us talking shit.” Jade pauses for a moment to adjust her necklace in the mirror before she turns to face Kennedy and adds, “Calum looked super interested in you and Joey.”

Kennedy blinks in surprise upon hearing this. It’s rare for counselors to come in late but not entirely unheard of. However, she was certain that after they’d missed Maxwell and Aiden’s welcome, Calum and Ashton weren’t coming. In the brief moments of sobriety she’d had the night before, she imagined that they’d be doing something better with their time this summer. Calum talked about hiding out on a beach somewhere the summer before, writing and drinking and enjoying the solitude, and she’d thought that maybe he’d done that. She also remembers that they’re Australian, far from home and missing their families. She’d briefly considered the option that they’d gone home for the summer.

Whatever they’d done, she was sure that they wouldn’t be returning to Camp Clear Lake to spend their summer with a gaggle of giggling children surrounding them.

But upon hearing Jade’s confirmation that they had indeed arrived, Kennedy doesn’t know if the butterflies she feels in her stomach are excitement or anxiety. She’s glad that Calum is back, she really had enjoyed the time she spent with him, but Jade’s reality check rings through her head like a mantra.

Summer camp romances aren’t real. You get two months to flirt, fuck, and then you forget. And Kennedy doesn’t know if she can do that.

Kennedy thinks about Calum, about the instant attraction she’d felt and the comfort that filled her body whenever he was around, and can see something more than just a fling. She can see a future with him, can see waking up beside him and wearing his sweatshirts. She can see getting a dog, living in some cozy apartment in the city, and figuring life out together. 

And then she realizes that she only knew him for two months, only knew what he wanted her to know, only saw the Calum he wanted her to see, and she thinks that maybe she’s crazy. She thinks that Jade is right, she’s a hopeless romantic with too many thoughts running through her head. She should focus on herself, on the future that she knows exists (the one in which she graduates from college and then has no fucking clue what to do next) and leave the romance alone.

And then she thinks about Joey.

She remembers the summer that they spent together, the awkward flirting and the fun times. She remembers thinking that he was cute and offering to teach him how to shoot a bow just so she could spend time with him. She remembers him teaching her how to play the drums (even though he was better at making her laugh than teaching her how to play) and her making any mistake she could to have him guide her. She remembers being paired with Joey and Cole for nearly every activity that summer and she can see herself having fun with him again.

Now that they’re adults, comfortable in who they are and a little more certain of themselves, she imagines that maybe things will be different this time. She imagines there won’t be any awkward attempts at hand holding or attempts to stare at the other unnoticed. She imagines that this time might be easier, more natural. And she can see the same future with Joey that she can see with Calum. A cozy apartment, comfortable nights, and the best damn music collection in the city.

But she knows that she’s jumping ahead of herself. She’s thinking too far into the future when she should be focusing on the present. She should be focusing on the hordes of children that are currently en route. She should be focusing on the GRE that she’s decided to take in the fall. She should be focusing on anything other than a fling that likely won’t mean anything in six months.

However, Kennedy can’t help herself as she wonders what had gone through Calum’s head when he saw her with Joey. She wonders if he was jealous or if he gave it a second thought. She wonders if Jade is trying to stir the pot or if maybe he’d really felt something last summer and was interested in picking up where they left off.

She also wonders if Joey noticed Calum’s staring.

Before the thought of what it all really means can fully form in her mind, a knock sounds on their cabin door. 

Jade glances at Kennedy out of the corner of her eye, a look Kennedy doesn’t recognize on her face, before she opens the door to reveal a grinning Ashton. “Good morning, counselors,” he greets happily. “Walk with me to the mess hall?”

Jade notices Kennedy glance around Ashton and out into the small clearing in the middle of the ring of cabins. She figures that Kennedy is searching for Calum (or maybe Joey, she can’t be sure) but when she sees only the remaining new counselors decorating the fronts of their cabins, she shrugs at Jade and reaches for her sunglasses. 

“I’m gonna nap on the walk,” Kennedy murmurs as she wraps her arm around Jade’s shoulders once they step outside the cabin, “guide me.”

“You should know better by now,” Ashton teases as Jade wraps her arm around Kennedy’s waist. “She let you walk into a tree during that trust exercise last year.”

“I did not,” Jade protests. “I told her to turn left, away from the tree, and she turned right. It’s not my fault she can’t take directions.”

“She did turn left,” a new voice chimes in as the three of them head up the path to the mess hall, “the tree was on the left, not the right.”

Kennedy tenses at the sound of Calum’s voice but doesn’t stop walking. Jade, feeling Kennedy’s reaction, rolls her eyes. “When I said left, I meant my left. Not her left. We were facing different directions,” Jade defends. “Maybe it’s my fault for not specifying but she’s the one who gave herself a concussion, so.”

Kennedy rolls her eyes at Jade’s dismissal but says nothing and keeps herself stuck to Jade’s side as the four of them make their way to the mess hall. She listens as Jade and Ashton fall into an easy conversation about the hike at the end of camp. They argue over who should hold the map, as if they’ve already committed to hiking together, and Kennedy doesn’t know how she feels about that. 

She doesn’t know how she feels about Calum anymore, either.

He’s is trailing behind the three of them, his eyes burning into the back of her head, but Kennedy can’t bring herself to look at him. She keeps her gaze forward, her eyes on the expanse of trees that surround them, and she tries her hardest to pretend like the weight of Calum’s gaze isn’t affecting her. She pretends that it’s the hangover that’s making her knees weak and her stomach churn. She pretends that it’s the anxiety that comes with meeting parents, that it’s the excitement for the summer ahead, but she knows that it’s all Calum’s fault and Kennedy wants to cry when Jade untangles herself from her grip and grabs Ashton’s hand.

“We’ll meet you guys in the mess hall,” Jade calls as she and Ashton head in the direction of the art cabin, “we’ve got something we need to do super quick. Promise I’ll be back by the time the kids come in!”

Kennedy watches as Jade disappears with Ashton, confusion clouding her brain. “I feel like I missed something,” she mumbles with a frown as she watches them giggle. “Like, they went from hiking to horny in a shockingly short period of time.”

“Is it really that shocking for them?” Calum questions as he watches the pair disappear from beside her. “I’m surprised they lasted this long, honestly.”

Kennedy nods her agreement and shrugs. “I thought she was going to lose her mind when we thought you guys weren’t coming. Like, she was fully miserable for the whole day. Didn’t know what she was going to do without Ash.”

“He talked about her the whole ride up here,” Calum informs Kennedy as the pair resume their journey to the mess hall. “He really liked her. Couldn’t wait to see her again.”

Kennedy isn’t sure if she’s imagining the softness in Calum’s voice or if he’s no longer talking about Jade and Ashton but she doesn’t want to assume. So she nods, takes his words at face value, and hums, “She liked him, too. It’s gonna be tough to keep them away from each other this summer. At least I’ll know she’s with him if she goes missing, though.”

Kennedy can see Calum nod out of the corner of her eye but he doesn’t make any further attempt at conversation as the pair of them move closer to the mess hall. It’s an awkward silence, one she isn’t used to having with Calum, and it makes her frown as she crosses her arms over her chest and wishes she had something to say that didn’t feel forced. 

Conversations with Calum were easy before she started to think too much about feelings and intentions and hypothetical futures. They flowed and when they didn’t, the silences weren’t just a thing to be filled. They were comfortable, happy and carefree, and Kennedy wants to return to that but she isn’t sure how.

So, she keeps walking. She keeps her eyes on the wooden boards beneath her feet that serve as the porch to the mess tent and almost makes it to the door when a hand grips her elbow.

She blinks at Calum’s grip, her eyes catching the tattoo on his hand that she spent so much time tracing the previous summer, before she lifts her head and glances at his face for the first time in nearly a year. Physically, he hasn’t changed. He’s still just as beautiful as she remembers him being. His eyes are just as expressive and his face just as difficult to read as she’s always found it. She can’t tell what he’s thinking and she isn’t sure if she’d change that.

“Kennedy,” he begins quietly, his eyes roaming her face for any hint of emotion. He’d always told her that her eyes gave her away, that he could see every emotion just as clear as day, but with the tint of her sunglasses keeping them hidden, Calum is just as blind to her emotions as she is to his.

He isn’t quite sure what he wants to say to her. He doesn’t know if he should apologize for not texting her or ask her if they can start over. He doesn’t know if he should tell her that she looks beautiful, even with a hangover from Hell, or if he should just let her go.

Calum has never been this uncertain so he goes with the only safe option. He lets go of her arm and shoots what he hopes is a genuine looking smile in her direction as he says, “It’s good to see you again.”

He doesn’t see the flicker of disappointment in her eye. He doesn’t feel the sting of rejection burning the back of her throat. All he sees is the nod of her head before she mutters, “It’s good to see you, too.”

Kennedy doesn’t know why it bothers her so much. It wasn’t like she was expecting a declaration of his undying love. However, she was expecting something a little more substantial than, “It’s good to see you again.”

But before she can spend too much time dwelling on his first direct comment to her, about their time spent together, a voice calls, “You’re alive! I’m glad the Everclear didn’t kill you.” Kennedy turns to see Joey bounding up the steps, a grin on his lips as he steps closer to her. She can see Cole dragging behind him, a pair of sunglasses matching her own covering his eyes, and she grins.

“I’m, like, half a degree more alive than Cole right now,” she laughs as she watches him drag himself up the steps. “Maybe a full degree.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Cole sighs as he leans against the wooden post, “but I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Beer after liquor next time?” Joey asks with a grin.

“Yeah.” Kennedy laughs at the interaction and shakes her head as she watches Cole attempt to drag himself into the mess hall only to fall into one of the rocking chairs beside the door. “Leave me here,” he sighs. “If you could all live quietly while I die, that’d be great.”

Kennedy, Joey, and Calum glance at Cole. They watch as he leans his head against the wooden side of the building and sighs, green strands falling into his face and covering the red of his cheeks. The three of them stare at him for a long moment before Kennedy shakes her head and points to the door.

“I’m going to go get something to eat. The campers will be here soon and I can’t deal with them on an empty stomach,” she mutters as she steps around Joey. “If I do, I’ll end up dying with Cole.”

“The afterlife’s looking pretty sweet,” Cole mutters, his words muffled by the hat he’d pulled down over his face. “No campers, at least.”

Joey laughs at Cole’s antics and shakes his head. “I’ll come with you,” he offers to Kennedy. “I think the only edible thing in there is peanut butter and jelly but living off that is better than joining him in the afterlife,” Joey shrugs as he moves to follow her. However, before the two can get more than a few steps closer to the door, he turns back to Calum. “Shit, sorry. I’m Joey,” he offers with a grin, “nice to meet you, man.”

Calum nods. He wants to say that he knows, to ignore the greeting and walk away, but when he catches the look on Kennedy’s face, he sighs and says, “Calum. Nice to meet you, too.”

Calum really wants to be annoyed as he watches Joey and Kennedy disappear into the mess hall. He wants to be annoyed that Joey seems to be such a nice person. He wants to be annoyed that he’s grinning and bright, that he seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He wants to be annoyed that he’s got Kennedy laughing just by being near her. He wants to be annoyed that he’s just waltzed in and picked up right where they left off all those years ago as if a day hadn’t gone by when he can barely get a full sentence out in her presence.

But the only person Calum is annoyed with is himself.

He knows that he’s the only one to blame here. He knows that if he’d just taken the risk over the summer and kissed her or held her hand or fucking told her that he liked her like one of his campers suggested then maybe he’d be the one she was giggling at. Maybe he’d be the one she was making doe eyes at. Maybe he’d be the one with her undivided attention.

But he’d played it cool, kept her at a distance because he didn’t want to fall too hard too fast and get his heart broken, and now he’s suffering the consequences.

“Green’s not a good color on you, dude.” Calum glances over at Cole whose head is lolled to one side, his hair covering his face, and Calum isn’t sure how he can even see in front of him. Calum stares at Cole, a look of confusion on his face, when Cole shrugs. “I mean, real green probably is but jealous green is not. It’s summer camp. Lighten up.”

Calum wants to roll his eyes. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he’s been thinking about Kennedy for nearly a year and it’s driving him insane. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he thought about their reunion and this is absolutely not how he imagined it’d go. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because things just aren’t going how he imagined they would but he doesn’t.

Instead, he asks, “How the fuck did you even know?”

As Calum listens to Cole explain himself, Kennedy allows Joey to guide her through the tables filled with counselors. She waves hello to those she remembers, smiles politely at those she doesn’t, and laughs when Joey stops her in front of the table containing the necessary ingredients for peanut butter and jelly. She remembers living off of them her first summer at Camp Clear Lake. She remembers sneaking the ingredients out of the mess hall after breakfast and hiding in the edge of the woods with Joey to eat them and laugh at one another attempting to speak through a mouthful of peanut butter as their campers splashed in the lake. 

She remembers wondering if sharing a kiss with Joey would taste like peanut butter and jelly. 

But she also remembers sharing the sandwich with Calum. She remembers making sandwiches and the two of them sneaking out in the middle of the night for Calum to smoke and write. She remembers listening as he hummed the melodies that were stuck in his mind and grinning when he began scribbling words onto the pages of his notebook. He’d been slightly weirded out by the combination, unsure of it, and hadn’t really enjoyed it much at all. 

“You’re from Australia, Calum,” she remembers telling him when he made the comment that Americans had weird food combinations, “you guys eat sprinkles on buttered bread. You can’t tell me shit.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but that’s, like, for kids. Birthday parties and shit. This is just something people eat. It’s weird.”

She remembers laughing at him getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth and him scoffing at the suggestion that he should feed his dog some. She remembers him putting a spoonful of it in Ashton’s shoes and biting back a grin when he blamed a camper. She remembers being carefree, not worried about the future or the past but living in the moment. She remembers being happy with what she had and not caring if she got anything more.

And Kennedy knows that she wants that again.

She wants to be happy. She wants to find love and grow old with someone she cares about. Realistically, however, she doesn’t think that’ll happen at Camp Clear Lake. She doesn’t think she’ll meet her soulmate by the tire swing or in line for the showers. She doesn’t think she’ll fall madly in love by the rusty swings or near the too-smokey fire. So, as she meets Jade by the signpost welcoming campers to Camp Clear Lake, Kennedy vows to just live.

“If we flirt and we fuck and we forget,” she mumbles as double checks the stack of name tags attached to her clipboard, “then that’s what happens. I’m not going to be weird and anxious all summer. I’m just going to live.”

Jade, brain still mildly fogged from her encounter with Ashton, stares at Kennedy for a long moment. She isn’t quite sure who Kennedy is talking about when she says she’s fine with just living. Part of her hopes that it’s Calum, another part of her hopes that it’s Joey. Calum kept her calm, Joey helped her have fun. Each boy brought out something different in Kennedy, helped her be a better version of herself, so Jade can’t help but ask, “When you say we, who do you mean? You and Joey or you and Calum?”

And there, Kennedy realizes, lies her problem.

When she says she wants to live in the moment, who does she want to live in the moment with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been this stoked about a fic in a long time, tbh.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I've been feeling a summer romance fic.


End file.
